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GSA, AGI, and New Mexico Bureau of Geology

and Mineral Resources Bring Educational

Opportunities to Students in New Mexico

Photo by Tahlia Bear. Photo by Dean Moosavi.

On 27 Sept., 8th grade students from the Jemez Pueblo in After a lunch break, further discussion with the geoscientists
Northern New Mexico got a real taste of what it means to be and park rangers at the Valles Caldera National Preserve
a geoscientist. GSA partnered with the American Geosciences helped the students connect the geologic environment of their
Institute (AGI), geoscientists from New Mexico Bureau of homeland to thousands of years of history of farming, trading
Geology and Mineral Resources at New Mexico Tech, and obsidian, and even carving homes from the tuff deposits left
the National Park Service to bring a geoscience educational behind by the eruptions of the volcano. The students experi-
program about the Valles Caldera supervolcano to 45 students, enced not only the what and how of the science they were
teachers, and chaperones from this tribal community. exploring but also why it matters given the environmental
challenges they must plan for, the mineral, agricultural, and
Teams of students, teachers, and scientists collaborated in a energy resources arising from their state’s volcanism, and
hands-on, inquiry-based exploration of an outcrop containing the professional opportunities the geosciences offers them
both an ash fall and ash flow from a 74,000 year-old eruption. as they grow into adulthood.
With extra encouragement and guidance from former Interior
Secretary Sally Jewell, AGI’s Earth Science Education Discussions with the participants suggest this was the first
Ambassador for 2018, and former GSA President Claudia time many of the students realized how they might have a
Mora, the students sieved samples of each material to deter- future working in the geosciences whether as a geologist,
mine the particle size distributions amongst the ash, pumice, geoscience educator, park ranger, or land-use manager. Don’t
and lapilli, quantitatively demonstrating the differences be surprised if you see students from this program in your
between these materials with their very different hazard classes, a national park, or a GSA meeting in the next decade
potential and response requirements. or so. Look for a short documentary on this activity as part of
AGI’s Earth as Inspiration series for more details and the
students’ insights in their own words.

18 GSA Today | December 2018